1. Origin of the Invention
The present invention relates to personal plastic identity cards adapted to carry fingerprints, and, more particularly, to an article and method of providing inkless fingerprints on such cards.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Plastic identity cards which contain information identifying the card holder are in common use. Such cards normally have a nonporous surface with the identity information such as the cardholder's name, license or card number etc. either laminated into or embossed on the plastic. Such cards are often provided with a relatively porous ink receptive coating over a rectangular area, which area is designed to receive the signature of the card holder. Such ink receptive coatings are conventionally placed over the designated area by silk screening or hot stamping, have also been placed over areas designed to receive the fingerprints so that the cardholder's finger (or thumb) may be rolled in conventional fingerprint ink and then pressed onto the coating. The need for the card holder's fingerprint on the identity card is becoming increasingly important to prevent the use of such identity cards by imposters.
Conventional ink fingerprinting techniques have several well known drawbacks, such as the staining of the hands of the person being fingerprinted with the colored ink (normally black). In addition, plastic identity cards normally experience considerable handling which tends to cause conventional ink prints to smudge. Such smudging may render the print useless.
The above disadvantages of personal identity cards designed to incorporate the holders prints thereon have been overcome by the present invention.